


Vignette 1: Darth Vader

by wolfiefics



Series: The Exiles [2]
Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Anakin is swimming madly down the river of denial, Anakin isn't the most stable of individuals at the moment, Gen, Rex wishes he were anywhere but here, off-screen Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon, off-screen Padme Naberrie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23956081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfiefics/pseuds/wolfiefics
Summary: Anakin Skywalker has had everything stolen from him. Obi-Wan has destroyed his life and slipped through his fingers. He will have his revenge, make no mistake, but first he has to put together his new life. The Dark Side is powerful but Anakin is just a tad bit unstable at the moment. And a bit in a state of denial.
Series: The Exiles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725547
Comments: 7
Kudos: 28





	Vignette 1: Darth Vader

**Author's Note:**

> I hadn’t anticipated the first vignette to be Anakin, but it came to me at work and I wrote it up on lunch break. I promise the next vignette will be more cheerful.

He hurt. He never imagined ever hurting like this. And the one who did this to him, who betrayed him, who stole everything, who cut off his FUCKING legs and arm escaped, taking his child with him.

He’d have been better off a slave on Tatooine. Fucking, pompous, holier-than-thou Jedi. That he’d ever thought Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as saviors showed just how much they pulled the wool over his eyes. He saw them for what they really were, now, when it was too late. He’d been thwarted his revenge on them personally, but there were other Jedi still in the galaxy. They would be poor substitutes, true, but Anakin would savor it all the same.

Rex was looking at him expectantly, waiting for orders. Anakin’s new master hadn’t wanted his apprentice to chase after an infant, but Anakin begged and Palpatine reluctantly allowed it. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had escaped once more and faithful Rex was awaiting orders.

Anakin struggled to sit up. The prosthetic arm that remained made a whining sound as it tried to compensate for his weight. He ignored it. Two droid healers were still attaching his prosthetic right leg, buzzing at him like irritating gnats.

“Naboo,” he managed to grit out as the droids hit an overly sensitive nerve. “Obi-Wan lied to me. Padme is there. She’ll tell me why she gave our baby to that heartless bilgesnipe.”

Rex saluted crisply and started to pivot but hesitated. “Is there anything I can do to ease your pain, General?”

Anakin grimaced. “No. Padme will make everything better. She always makes everything better.” Rex nodded and left. 

He lay there, trying to absorb the pain until he realized he was doing as Obi-Wan had taught him. He growled. He needed to embrace the pain, covet it, use it to fuel his righteous anger. The Dark Side and its complex emotions made him more powerful than he’d ever been as a useless Jedi. The Jedi were fools, blind and arrogant. He saw the truth now: the Dark Side was everything. 

Anakin felt the hyper drive kick in, felt the minor jerk as the large troop transport fell into Hyper Space. Naboo wasn’t far. He’d have his answers soon enough. He would show Padme how Obi-Wan had manipulated her, lied to her, used his damned Force tricks on her. She would tell him where Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were going.

Padme would make the pain go away.

* * *

Anakin’s demand that the current Queen of Naboo join him on the troop transport was firmly, if politely, denied. He couldn’t find Padme in the Force; they were hiding her. He sent Rex down with enough troops to convince the Queen that she needed to cooperate…or else.

Queen Neeyutnee’s eyes were the only thing showing any emotion whatsoever when she was led by a guard of troopers to Anakin’s medward aboard ship. The right leg had been assimilated. It just needed to heal. He was still missing an arm and his left leg. He knew he looked pitiful and pathetic, but he wasn’t going to stand seeing that in her sanctimonious gaze.

He stretched out a hand, focusing his rage, and began to squeeze oh-so gently her throat.

“I’m going to ask only once. You will answer me truthfully. If you lie, I will kill you. Do you understand?” Neeyutnee gave a strangled gasp but managed a tiny nod. “Excellent.” He let up the pressure a bit. “Where is my wife? Where is Padme Naberrie, former Queen Amidala?”

The Queen’s eyes saddened and she gestured helplessly. “She was buried in state two days ago, as per the customs of Naboo.”

Impotent rage exploded in Anakin’s mind. He slammed his fist closed viciously, causing the young woman at his mercy to gurgle, clawing helplessly at her throat as it was crushed. Her feet twisted and flailed a moment before going still, Anakin having jerked her upright as he killed her in his rage.

“I TOLD YOU NOT TO LIE!” he screamed. He flicked his hand dismissively and her body sailed across the room, slamming into the wall.

Rex stood watching, waiting. Rex needed orders.

“Put your finest on all planet-wide holo transmissions. Trace everything, even if it’s some brat’s homework assignment being sent to his teacher. Obi-Wan would have had them hide her deep but someone has talked. Find me someone who knows.” Anakin sank back on the purgatorial bed, exhausted from his rush of energy and anger. By all the little Gods, he was so weak still. Goddamn Obi-Wan.

Rex saluted and was gone before Anakin could draw his next breath.

“Padme,” he begged into the Force. “Where are you, my love? I would never hurt you. I love you. Please. Come to me.”

He got no answer.

* * *

Rex watched the Naboo news vids from two days ago with not a small amount of apprehension. It was the public, and open casket, funeral services of the former Queen Amidala, being laid to rest in her family’s crypt with all the correct and ceremonial pomp.

The General was going to go ballistic. Rex really didn’t want to be the one to tell him. No sign of Generals Kenobi or Jinn. No babies present among the former Queen’s family. Rex really didn’t want to tell General Skywalker that General Kenobi hadn’t lied to him. The Senator was dead.

CT-786 was watching Rex with some commiseration. So were several of the other troopers currently scouring the Naboo holo and transmission networks for any sign or word of Padme Naberrie. Not a damned one of them was going to volunteer to tell General Skywalker the news. It was up to Rex.

Rex hoped he lived through it.

He procrastinated as long as possible, crisply telling an increasingly irate Anakin Skywalker that they were still searching. There was nothing, however, as Rex knew there wouldn’t be. It was time to face the music.

“Well?” demanded Rex’s rather unstable commander. 

In answer, Rex put his hand out, a holovid player in his hand. He pushed the playback button, showing the funeral procession. The playback included several close ups of the former Queen’s face in her casket. Rex tried not to show any signs of panic as Anakin’s breathing turned erratic.

“When was this?” rasped Anakin finally.

“Two days ago, sir,” Rex reported in what he hoped was a sympathetic but respectful manner.

“You subjected it to a full evaluation? It’s not a trick?”

Rex took a deep breath. “It’s a completely legitimate broadcast.” He hesitated. “Do you want me to take a team down to exhume the body for DNA testing?”

He watched the calculation flit across Skywalker’s face. He hoped the man said no. Disturbing the dead because you can’t accept the truth was a poor reason for doing so.

“Yes.”

Rex held back a sigh. He had his orders. “Yes, sir.” He saluted and turned away.

“Rex.” Rex stiffened. “If it’s her, I don’t care who you have to kill. Find. My. Child.”

Rex swallowed but put one foot in front of the other until he was hopefully out of reach of a Force strangulation.

* * *

“You will return to Coruscant immediately.” Anakin opened his mouth to argue with his master but the other gave him a hard, don’t-argue-with-me look and repeated, “Immediately.”

He owed Palpatine everything. He had to obey. He wasn’t giving up the search for his child, but for now, it would have to be put on hold.

“Yes, My Lord,” he acquiesced humbly.

Palpatine’s expression turned fond. “I know you hurt, my apprentice. I know they have wronged you, the filthy Jedi. We will make them pay, I promise you, but all in good time. Revenge is a dish best served cold.”

Anakin nodded but ventured, “May I at least send Rex out to hunt for my child, as you have need of me elsewhere, My Lord?”

Palpatine’s expression turned thoughtful. “Yes. I can allow that, if it will ease your mind, my apprentice.”

“I thank you, My Lord,” Anakin said.

“Do you know the meaning of the word ‘Vader’?” Palpatine asked him out of the blue.

“No, My Lord,” Anakin said truthfully.

“It means ‘father’. I agree the child is of great importance, but it must wait. We have an Empire to solidify. There will those who…balk…at our leadership. They must be shown the error of their ways. Return at once. We will discuss our plans face to face.” Palpatine’s visage flickered out and Anakin took a deep breath.

“Father.”

“Sir?”

Anakin looked at Rex. “My new name means ‘father’, Rex. Appropriate, don’t you think?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You heard My Lord. I’m tasking you with the hunt for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Find them. Find my child. Track them to the ends of the universe if you have to but find them. I return to Coruscant.”

If Anakin didn’t know better, he could have sworn there was a hint of relief to Rex’s salute of acknowledgement. It didn’t matter. The clone was obedient, clever and tenacious. Rex would find his child, boy or girl, and make those two Jedi baby stealers pay for killing Padme and stealing Anakin’s future.

Rex would never fail him. If he did…well, Rex was just a clone. There were thousands more just like him. One was just as good any other.

But there was only one Darth Vader.

**Author's Note:**

> Got a plot bunny for the series? Shoot me a message on [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/wolfiefics)!


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